KEY backers of proposed land-use changes that would allow hotels and an apartment tower on several blocks in Sodo have wisely agreed to back off for now.

It’s the right move. More time will allow the Seattle City Council to gather crucial information as it strives to strike the right balance between two priorities: injecting more 24/7 vitality into the neighborhood around Safeco and CenturyLink fields, and protecting the stadiums’ industrial neighbors, including the Port of Seattle.

The land-use changes, prompted in part by the possibility of an NBA arena in the neighborhood, were proposed late last year by the Department of Planning and Development.

It asked the council to approve the amendments by March 31. That struck industrial interests and others as too hasty, especially with two freight-mobility studies that could provide important insights just getting under way.

This week, the department said it could support a one-year postponement. Another backer of the amendments, the public authority that owns CenturyLink, also has said it doesn’t object to a delay.

Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who chairs the council’s land-use committee, said this week that he’s inclined to table the amendments until next year.